Both candidates in Pensacola's District 6 Council race share a common vision to do a better job of getting citizens involved in local government issues, but would bring different experiences to office that would help get the job done.

Butch Hansen and Ann Hill are vying to fill the seat vacated by Councilman Brian Spencer.

District 6 contains much of the core of Pensacola from the north industrial areas near Interstate 110 to downtown and has many historic neighborhoods like Belmont-DeVilliers, North Hill and Old East Hill.

Since retiring to Pensacola after a career in newspapers, Hill has been involved in local issues for several years attending local meetings and being active in the Belmont-DeVilliers Neighborhood Association. In 2012, the City Council appointed Hill to the Community Maritime Park board, which she served on until the board was dissolved by the city in 2017.

Ann Hill(Photo: Courtesy of Ann Hill)

On social media, Hill has been active livestreaming public meetings and also held two town halls — one on homelessness and one on water quality.

"In the past eight years, I don't know of one town hall that has been held in District 6," Hill said. "… People can change things by being active and taking responsibility for such things as beach cleanups. You just don't have to rely on government to do everything for you. You are the government. You can be part of it."

A former Navy captain, Hansen became involved with the City Council when it began looking for its own budget analyst. When he left the Navy, Hansen worked for a consult company that did work in government financial advising in Washington D.C. before retiring to Pensacola.

When the council advertised for the budget analyst position, Hansen applied and was hired in December. The position gave him an inside look at how the council worked and said the only way he could make a difference is if he became a council member.

Butch Hansen(Photo: Courtesy of Butch Hansen)

"In my opinion, they weren't asking the questions they need to ask. They weren't working from a set of priorities," Hansen said. "There wasn't any plan they were working to that was agreed to between the council and the mayor. ... Everything was counter to how I saw good government budget decisions being made."

Hansen said he wants to hold more town halls and said the council has become too passive, pointing out that council member almost never sponsor action items on meeting agendas.

He said improving the communication between people and the city government was his top priority going into office.

"I think the voice of the people has gotten lost in the city government," Hansen said.

Hill too said the dysfunction between City Council and the mayor's office has hurt the city and kept it from helping several neighborhoods in District 6.

"I don't want to fight everybody on City Council and the mayor," Hill said. "I would like to have, under the sunshine, a good dialogue so that we can move forward and get some results for these people that are hurting."

Hansen said he was appalled to learn that several residents in the district are paying for their own street light from Gulf Power because the city hasn't installed any on their street — and that needs to change.

Hill said increase the safety of streets and their walkability was her top priority and several voters she's talked to feel like wealthier neighborhoods get more attention from the city.

"They feel neglected and ignored and it may be a simple thing like 'why don't we have a park or why aren't our streets taken care of,' but you go to other neighborhoods and they look like diamonds by comparison," Hill said.